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. 2021 Jan;57(1):189-195.
doi: 10.1007/s10597-020-00631-6. Epub 2020 May 13.

Social Prescribing for Individuals Living with Mental Illness in an Australian Community Setting: A Pilot Study

Christina Aggar  1 , Tamsin Thomas  2 , Christopher Gordon  3 , Jacqueline Bloomfield  3 , James Baker  4
Affiliations

Social Prescribing for Individuals Living with Mental Illness in an Australian Community Setting: A Pilot Study

Christina Aggar et al. Community Ment Health J. 2021 Jan.

Abstract

Social prescribing, also known as "community referral", is a means of referring individuals living in the community to existing local non-clinical health, welfare, and social support services. International evidence demonstrates that social prescribing improves biopsychosocial quality of life, and burden on health services. Australia's first social prescribing pilot program for individuals with mental illness (mood and psychotic spectrum disorders) was implemented in Sydney in 2016/2017; this study evaluates that program. Participants included 13 adults who were assessed at baseline and six-month follow-up. Outcomes included self-perceived quality of life, welfare needs, health status, loneliness, social participation, and economic participation. Results indicate significant improvements in quality of life and health status. This pilot program demonstrates that social prescribing may improve participant outcomes. It fits well within Australian health policy and funding models which focus on bolstering community care, and may be scalable, particularly in geographically isolated communities.

Keywords: Behavioural health; Case management; Community healthcare.

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Conflict of interest statement

Author CA has received research grants from Primary and Community Care Services, NSW, Australia. Author JBa is the CEO of Primary and Community Care Services, NSW, Australia.

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